Charlton Athletic should push to sign Corey Blackett-Taylor and Kion Etete as early as next week | OneFootball

Football League World looks at two January transfer deals that Charlton Athletic should be completing as soon as possible

Charlton Athletic have been resurgent as of late and should be looking to make an according splash in the January transfer window in order to continue the upward momentum and push for a prized place in League One's top-six positions.

It's been an inconsistent season for the Addicks, who have endured patchy form throughout the campaign but now appear capable of kicking on and competing higher up the table under Nathan Jones.

They're not completely out of the top-six conversation just yet, and while the odds are stacked against promotion this season owing to some of the significant budgets beheld by their third-tier counterparts such as Birmingham City and Wrexham, a strong January window could prove a game-changer.

As one would expect of a Jones side, Charlton have been robust and assured defensively, as they rank among the strongest sides in the division for goals conceded. Putting them in the other net, however, is where they are falling short at the minute, so you would expect additional attacking firepower to be right at the top of the agenda for this month.

With that in mind, Football League World looks at two players who Charlton should really be looking to get to the Valley as soon as possible.

Corey Blackett-Taylor

Just a year after his departure to then-League One rivals Derby County, Charlton could reap all the rewards from sealing a sensational reunion with Corey Blackett-Taylor.

It simply hasn't worked out for Blackett-Taylor at Pride Park. The 27-year-old was restricted to a largely peripheral role as the Rams sealed promotion back to the Championship, and he's struggling to get much of a look-in at second-tier level.

At the time of writing, Blackett-Taylor has scored just one league goal for Derby in nearly twelve months, although many of his appearances have come from the bench and he's seldom received a consistent run of games in Paul Warne's side.

His talents, mind you, require little introduction as far as Charlton are concerned, and they should be looking to offer him an escape route out of Derby and back to the club where he enjoyed his finest form.

The tricky winger scored 20 goals from 97 matches across a two-and-a-half-year stay in South London. Nearly half of those came during the first half of the 2023/24 season alone, as he bagged eight goals and laid on a further six assists from 25 League One games to earn a move to Derbyshire.

Bringing him back would add some extra firepower for the promotion push. The Addicks need a wide option who can open up defences and carry the side upfield in transition in the way Blackett-Taylor did so well. He would bring back a new dimension to the attack and the signing does feel like something of a no-brainer if the player in question fancies it - either on a loan or permanently - and Derby are willing to give it the green light.

Kion Etete

Unlike Blackett-Taylor, who has not yet been linked with a move back to Charlton, recent reports have revealed that Cardiff City's Kion Etete is indeed on the radar as Jones looks to add to his striking options this month.

There would be caveats to any such deal, chiefly that Etete is yet to kick a ball in anger for the Bluebirds in the Championship this term after suffering a long-term pre-season hamstring injury - though he's said to be closing in on a return to full fitness.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a difficult two-and-a-half-year spell with Cardiff after joining from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022. Just three Championship goals have been returned in each of his two full terms with the Bluebirds, and injury setbacks have proved disruptive.

There are, however, signs of long-term promise, which admittedly do not appear set to be realised in South Wales. Etete formerly impressed at League One level during a brief loan spell with Cheltenham Town in 2022, where his return of three goals and three assists apiece from 13 matches caught the eye.

He still has backers in his corner at Cardiff, too, although with just six months to run on his current contract, it does feel as though Etete needs a fresh start elsewhere and Charlton could well kick-start his career, should they take their interest further.

Should Miles Leaburn leave the club this month, the Addicks are going to desperately need another towering forward to lead the line and Etete fits the bill. He would also represent a probable upgrade on the likes of Danny Hylton, Gassan Ahadme, Chuks Aneke and Matt Godden.